The low-down on multiple sclerosis

Featuring content from MediResource Inc.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disorder that was described as far back as 1868. It is one of the major causes of disabilities in adults under the age of 65. Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world; an estimated 100,000 Canadians have MS, with 1000 new cases of MS diagnosed every year – an average of 3 new cases diagnosed every day.

Women are more than 3 times as likely as men to develop MS. Symptoms usually first show up in people between 15 and 40 years of age but can appear as early as 2 years of age. MS appears to be more common in people of northern European background. No one yet knows what causes MS.

The symptoms of MS appear when the body's immune system begins to break down the myelin sheath that protects nerve cell fibres. Myelin is wrapped around these fibres like insulation around electrical wiring. When this protective sheath is damaged, nerve impulses from the brain to the muscles can no longer be effectively transmitted.

Symptoms can range from very mild and barely noticeable to debilitating, depending on the location of the damage – known as lesions or plaques – and its ability to heal or develop scars. Because the damage can be so varied and can come and go, diagnosis isn't always easy.

There are four main types of MS:

relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS): the most common form of MS, which involves "flareups" where symptoms get worse, followed by "remissions" where symptoms decrease or disappear

primary progressive MS (PPMS): this type of MS develops slowly but continuously and gets worse over time

secondary progressive MS (SPMS): this type of MS starts out like RRMS, but then steadily gets worse over time

altered sensation (tingling, numbness, or a burning feeling in a part of the body)

difficulty controlling bladder or bowels

double vision

fatigue

lack of coordination

muscle spasticity (tightness or stiffness)

slurred speech

tremors

weakness

There's no definitive way to test for MS, and a neurologist will usually only make a diagnosis after someone has had a second "attack" of symptoms. However, treatment may be started after the first attack if an MRI scan shows damage that suggests MS. In this case, treatment may help delay the development of MS.

Still, certain types of tests can be done to rule out other neurological disorders or to look for signs of the disorder in the brain (usually lesions). Your doctor may order investigations to check how quickly impulses travel along the nerve fibres, use MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) or CT scans (computed tomography, for patients who cannot undergo MRI) to look for affected areas, or even do a spinal tap to rule out other diseases.

MS isn't fatal for most people stricken with the disease. Most people with MS can expect to live a normal or near-normal lifespan. This is because there have been many improvements made in the treatment of MS and the complications that may arise from it.

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